World News Quick Take

Agencies

UNITED STATES

Three dead in marine base

A US marine shot and killed two colleagues before apparently turning the gun on himself at a military base in Virginia, media reported early yesterday. The shooting happened on Thursday night at the Quantico marine base in the state bordering Washington, media reports said. The suspect was a marine who attended officer candidate school at the base, CBS News and other media reported, quoting First Lieutenant Augustin Solivan. The gunman killed a male marine, barricaded himself inside a barracks and was found dead later of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the reports said. A second body was found in the officer candidate school, Solivan told ABC News. The gender of the second victim was not known. The base went into lockdown immediately after the shooting, but this has since been lifted.

UNITED STATES

Colorado okays gay unions

Colorado became the latest state to approve civil unions for gay couples, ending a dramatic turnaround in a state where voters banned same-sex marriage in 2006. The Supreme Court is set to soon hear arguments in two major cases on gay rights, including a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman, and a challenge to California’s ban on gay marriage. Depending on how broadly the court wants to tailor its decisions, they could affect the status of gay rights in all states. With Thursday’s action, Colorado will join eight US states that have civil unions or similar laws. Nine states and the District of Columbia allow gay marriage. The law takes effect on May 1.

UNITED NATIONS

UN calls for N Korea inquiry

The UN Human Rights Council has unanimously approved an inquiry into North Korea for possible crimes against humanity. The 47-nation council signed off on a resolution backed by the US, Japan and the EU that authorizes an investigation into what UN officials describe as suspected widespread and systematic violations of human rights in North Korea. The vote on Thursday follows the recommendations of UN special rapporteur Marzuki Darusman, who has told the council that the isolated country displays nine patterns of human rights violations. That includes having prison camps, the enforced disappearances of citizens and using food to control people. North Korea’s ambassador rejected the resolution, calling it political meddling.